United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets (abbreviated as UFP and commonly referred to as The Federation) is an interstellar federal republic, composed of planetary governments that have agreed to exist semi-autonomously under a single central government based on the principles of universal liberty, rights, and equality, and to share their knowledge and resources in peaceful cooperation and stellar exploration. The Federation Starfleet was incorporated as the peace-keeping and humanitarian armada of the Federation, in addition to exploratory, scientific, and diplomatic functions. History The Federation was founded in San Francisco, Earth in 2161. The seeds of the Federation were planted during a temporary alliance in 2154, in the search for a Romulan Drone Ship. It was this that first brought together the four species that would found the Federation: Humans, Vulcans, Andorians, and Tellarites. After the crisis, these four species remained together, founding the precursor to the Federation, called the Coalition of Planets, a year later. Other species soon joined: the Denobulans, the Rigelians, the Coridanites, and several others. Over the next several years, the ties between the members of the Coalition strengthened and became more structured, until, finally, in 2161, the Coalition became the Federation. There is ample evidence that an alternate timeline from which the Rihannsu mining vessel Narada arrived to destroy the [[USS Kelvin (NCC-0514)|starship Kelvin]] in 2233 and that events in our universe changed from that point on. Size and Location The Federation was located in the Alpha and Beta Quadrants of the Milky Way Galaxy. By the early 2370s, the Federation's territory was spread across 8,000 light years, with a membership of over 180 worlds and over 1,000 semi-autonomous colonies. Its major neighboring sovereignties were the Klingon Empire, the Cardassian Union, and the Ferengi Alliance. Other neighboring sovereignties were the Tzenkethi, the Tholian Assembly, and the Breen Confederacy. Government The Federation's government was a representative republic, headquartered on Earth. The Executive The executive branch is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Federation. The democratically-elected Federation President is the head of this branch. The Federation President serves as both the head of state and head of government; as chief executive officer of the government, the President determines most of the Federation's foreign policy, manages budgetary concerns, and serves as supreme commander of the Federation's military forces. The President's office is located in the Earth city of Paris on the European continent. The Federation Cabinet is a special executive committee to the President of the United Federation of Planets. The Legislature The Federation Council is the unicameral legislative body of the Federation. Composed of representatives from the various member worlds, the Federation Council holds the power to create, amend, and ratify Federation law. The Federation Council also holds a great deal of influence over the operations of the Federation's military service, Starfleet. The Council also holds influence over the making of Federation foreign policy. The Council's meeting chamber is in the Earth city of San Francisco, on the west coast of the North American continent. The Judiciary The judiciary was the branch of the Federation's government which is responsible for the administration of justice in the name of the state according to Federation law. Its highest level is the Federation Supreme Court. Federation law The fundamental political principles and laws of the Federation derived from two important documents: * The Federation Charter was the document ratified by the original members of the United Federation of Planets at the organization's founding in 2161. Caste-based discrimination was prohibited under the Charter. * The Articles of the Federation is the governing document of the Federation, and incorporates a series of enumerated rights to which all sentient beings are regarded as being entitled, collectively referred to as the Guarantees of Sophont Rights. Other rights and responsibilities for citizens derive from: * The Federation Judicial Code, which provides guidelines and regulations related to legal issues in the Federation. * Starfleet General Orders and Starfleet Regulations, a series of guidelines used to instruct members of Starfleet on the proper etiquette and policy in a situation that requires consultation for a resolution. * The Federation Uniform Code of Justice, which forms the legal basis of Starfleet Court-Martial proceedings. Diplomatic Treaties *Cheron Accords *Frontier Accord *Neutral Zone Treaty *Treaty of Algeron Military :Main article: Starfleet Starfleet is the military and deep-space exploratory service maintained by the United Federation of Planets. Its principal functions are the advancement of Federation knowledge about the galaxy, the advancement of Federation knowledge of science and technology, and the military defense of the Federation. In addition, it also plays a significant diplomatic role. As per its mandate of deep-space exploration, its personnel are frequently brought into contact with cultures and sentient species whose existences are previously unknown to the Federation. Federation Starfleet officers therefore act as official representatives of the Federation in these cases. Also, Federation Starfleet vessels are frequently used to ferry ambassadors on diplomatic missions. Economy The basic unit of currency backed by the Federation is called the Federation credit. This currency is used in both internal and external transactions. Federation worlds who possess resources unavailable elsewhere are obligated to provide consignments of these resources in times of emergency. Individual Federation worlds are free to employ their own economic models. Bolia, for example, utilizes currency based economics (the Bank of Bolias is a major interstellar financial institution). Membership Admittance into the Federation is either by invitation or successful petition of a world or civilization desirous of joining. In the second case, membership is granted only upon satisfaction of certain requirements. Firstly, the government of the prospective member submits an official petition to the Federation Council, outlining its desire to join. A lengthy, thorough investigation of the prospective member's culture follows. This investigation can take several years, and is done to ascertain whether or not the culture genuinely shared the values of the Federation: values of benevolence, peaceful co-existence and co-operation, the rule of law, and equal rights and justice. Even before the investigation, the prospective member has to meet certain requirements. These are as follows: * It has to have an "advanced level of technology." The Federation's baseline definition of this term is the capability for faster-than-light space travel. * Its government has to have achieved stable planetary political unity, respecting the rights of the individual. * No form of caste discrimination is to be practiced, in accordance with the Federation Charter. It should be noted that this particular clause is not always strictly adhered to. :See also: List of Federation members Sources *United Federation of Planets @ Memory-Alpha *United Federation of Planets @ Memory-Beta Category:United Federation of Planets Category:Governments